A Beaverton, Oregon veterinarian is accused of animal abuse, and a former customer said the suspect’s actions preceded the death of his dog.
A grand jury indicted Dr. Daniel Koller of the Companion Pet Clinic on charges including aggravated animal abuse. Koller was arrested Thursday.
The Beaverton Police Department conducted the investigation with the Oregon Humane Society.
Jose Figueroa said he took his 7-month-old dachshund Bleu to Companion Pet Clinic in September, believing Bleu might have an injured leg.
Figueroa said X-rays didn’t find anything at that time, but Bleu returned for a checkup three days later. Figueroa told FOX 12 that’s when everything took a drastic turn.
According to Figueroa, Koller began to pet Bleu, but then grabbed him by the mouth and nose and squeezed “super hard.”
“I was in shock, like it just happened,” Figueroa said. “He didn’t say anything.”
Figueroa shared cell phone video that showed what happened after the family confronted Koller inside the veterinary office.
In the video, Koller said the dog “went after me.” Figueroa asked where Koller was bitten by Bleu, to which Koller replied, “He didn’t, thank the lord.”
Figueroa accused the veterinarian of dangling his dog off the table, saying it caused Bleu to have trouble breathing.
The heated situation appeared to nearly turn violent in the office.
Figueroa said his puppy died a day later.
“For me, I just don’t want any other family or any other dog to go through what my dog or my family went through, because it’s super tough,” Figueroa said. “He was like my kid, he was like my son.”
Koller was booked into the Washington County Jail and then posted bail. FOX 12 reached out to the clinic after his arrest, but were told they had no comment.
Another pet owner told FOX 12 that Koller had taped his dog’s mouth shut during euthanasia. The Oregon Veterinary Board at that time confirmed Koller’s license had been revoked in 2008 and was reinstated in 2015.
Koller is due in court Nov. 26.
